This is like the 86 season where we won 11 out the last 12 ( drew ar Sheff Wed) ...it all started at Spurs with a last minute winner by Rush ( I can recall bedlam watching in a packed pub )

It may have been easier then , dunno, but there was zero room for a slip up, two great teams ( yes younger viewers Everton had a great team)..with WHU on the edge of it all with a sniff if bothe slipped up...sound familiar?

The point is a team of strong character and talent backed by fantastic support acheived that....we can repeat this , we have our best team in 30 years and whenever the team needs the fans , those in the ground must be there for them. Waving flags and singing nice songs wont be enough...we have to create an intimidating atmospher at all remaining games this season and give the best possible support away games.

I think what heís saying is that all that can be expected of this team is a challenge, expecting us to win it is a different thing all together especially when youíre up against the likes of City.

Itís not that we expect to lose, just that itís clearly neck and neck and is likely to remain that way until the end of the season, to Ďexpectí a win in that scenario is akin to expecting us to have beaten Madrid in Kiev last season. It may well happen but you have to accept that it may not, thatís the very definition of top level sporting competitions which are often defined by narrow margins.

Surely it isn't about expectation either way as that would be pure arrogance to expect a win and defeatist if the expectation is the other way. Is it not all about hope and belief? We are equal on points with a game in hand. We have to believe in the things we can do and what is in our control. Embrace the challenge rather than fear it. Just enjoy the ride. If we come short, it will hurt but we try again. When we do eventually win it, it will be so much sweeter. As good as Man City have been, I cannot see them (or ourselves) not dropping points. There are simply too many games to play. If they are to win every game from here, it would mean that they would have 15 consecutive wins in the league. It would be extraordinary and even though they achieved 18 wins in the first part of last season, we are at the business end of the season with knockout football as opposed to group stages where dropped points do not necessarily affect you. This is the juggernaut we are up against, so let's enjoy the ride and appreciate what we have achieved regardless of outcome. No reason why we cannot do this. Believe and support the team.

I think's people are using believe and expect in the same context when they are slightly different. To me anyway.

I believe we have a good chance of winning the league this season. But I don't expect us to win the league.

For me I have belief that we can get +90 points and that may be good enough to win the league. That belief is driven by how I've seen this team grow over the last few seasons. We are now genuinely one of the best teams in Europe.

I don't expect us to win the league though. For me, saying you expect something means that you believe it's probable to happen. That if it doesn't then something unexpected must have happened. Would it really be that unexpected if, for example, we get 92 points and City got 93 points this season?

The problem I have with 'expecting' something is that if it doesn't happen the natural thing to do is look for reason whey the expected thing didn't happen. To look for things or people to blame. We've been down this path before with dire consequences.

If we get +90 points this season and don't win the league then so be it. We'd all be massively disappointed but I don't think anyone would be to blame. It'd be an indication of how good another team had been this season rather than a result of our inadequacies. We'd get over our disappointment though and I'd believe and expect us to put up a title challenge in 2019/20.

That City win was omnibus and sucked a bit of the joy (at least for me) out of our win. But, the bottom line is, they can win every game 20-0 as long as Liverpool win 12 games or win 11 and draw 1 what City do will make no difference.

Go to bed thinking about the league. Wake up thinking about the league. That can't be healthy.

Days of our lives mate.It's an exciting time this. We have a real chance here, but even if we blow it, it's still a ride.

The rush of looking forward to the next game is just so addictive. You know that if we draw this one, it's highly likely that we'll set it right in the next game. Then when we win, you know it's highly likely we'll win the next game again. Win, win, win..There is automatic, continuous optimism(unless some poor sod chooses not to be).

I wish I could sit all of you down over a pint and implore you to keep the heads! It's very important to remember some key points:This team garnered a total of 75 points last yearThey are on pace to break the 90 points barrier this yearWhether that wins the league or not, the reality is that it will represent substantial improvementA tilt at the CL has been followed by a tilt at the leagueWe are always results orientated in sports, but the progress is there whether we win the big trophy or notOur platform and minimums have gone up so much in the space of four years it's astonishing

If you can get into this head space then you'll find this period far more enjoyable and satisfying. City are incredibly formidable opposition, just like Madrid in the final last May were. It's not a binary position of success / failure; winning mentality / bottle. We might lose the title with a great points total that would have won most titles and be right to be delighted with the season overall. Infact, that's a very possible outcome from here.

Think about the moving pieces in the background. The club are starting to pay and lock up the core of this team. A young core with years to come. Our manager has demonstrated a constant progression and evolution of tactical approach and squad depth. This summer we will be in the best position we've been in since sometime in the 80's in terms of the depth of the project as a whole. Commercially, coaching wise, squad wise - it will be the best platform we've had.

That's not to say the title wouldn't be phenomenal. Of course it would be. Just as winning last May would have been amazing. But what was true last May will be true this May: progress is a sum of the bigger picture. It is not about the ultimate result of a specific competition or a subset of games within that competition.

Get into this head space and you'll start to float above the action just a little.

I believe the average spend will go up £5 ahead and thatís being very conservative. So thatís £185k. Then you have a new 25k who will spend £10 a head thatís £250k. This is without the massively enhanced hospitality areas.

I wish I could sit all of you down over a pint and implore you to keep the heads! It's very important to remember some key points:This team garnered a total of 75 points last yearThey are on pace to break the 90 points barrier this yearWhether that wins the league or not, the reality is that it will represent substantial improvementA tilt at the CL has been followed by a tilt at the leagueWe are always results orientated in sports, but the progress is there whether we win the big trophy or notOur platform and minimums have gone up so much in the space of four years it's astonishing

If you can get into this head space then you'll find this period far more enjoyable and satisfying. City are incredibly formidable opposition, just like Madrid in the final last May were. It's not a binary position of success / failure; winning mentality / bottle. We might lose the title with a great points total that would have won most titles and be right to be delighted with the season overall. Infact, that's a very possible outcome from here.

Think about the moving pieces in the background. The club are starting to pay and lock up the core of this team. A young core with years to come. Our manager has demonstrated a constant progression and evolution of tactical approach and squad depth. This summer we will be in the best position we've been in since sometime in the 80's in terms of the depth of the project as a whole. Commercially, coaching wise, squad wise - it will be the best platform we've had.

That's not to say the title wouldn't be phenomenal. Of course it would be. Just as winning last May would have been amazing. But what was true last May will be true this May: progress is a sum of the bigger picture. It is not about the ultimate result of a specific competition or a subset of games within that competition.

Get into this head space and you'll start to float above the action just a little.

If I can add to this.We have built a side that has the expectation of winning every time they set foot onto the pitch. Anfield has become a fortress. The scary thing is that we have room for improvement and our squad is young. We are starting to dine with the elite of Europe as of right. I believe we can compete on both fronts. There is no one we should fear.

Worrying changes nothing. Negativity does have some sort of tangible effect though, so we need to all be singing from the same hymn sheet. What is the point of following a team, in any sport, if you are going to hate it when things get exciting? We don't exist as a football club to meander and loiter around mid-table, we don't exist to cause shocks every now and then and be semi-relevant. We exist to win things and to be involved in the business end of competitions. We're into the final third of the season and we have the league title in our own hands. That shouldn't be a shock or an aberration, at least not when you are looking at the bigger picture.

Klopp didn't come here for a payday. He could've chosen any club in the world pretty much but he chose us. His goal would've been very simple: to win at least one major trophy. We came agonizingly close in Europe last season and it would take a brave man now to rule us out of winning that competition under Jurgen's tenure. I would imagine though that Klopp understood - and if he didn't entirely when he arrived he most definitely does now - the importance and significance of ending the title drought here. We're very close now but we aren't Leicester. This isn't a perfect storm. This isn't a league with major teams in transition or who are under-performing. This is 3 years of planning, recruitment, training and hard work coming to fruition. Jurgen himself believes we are a season ahead of schedule, so take it from the man who has masterminded this thing that the best is yet to come.

Enjoy it now though. We are close. We are right in this fucking thing. We are here on merit, we are here because up until now we've been the best team in the league this season. If we continue that trend for the next 12 games then Jurgen is going to be walking around Anfield on a hot May afternoon swigging pints and leading the orchestra. If that image doesn't excite you or get rid of the worry then I'm afraid nothing will.

is a cushy number for the Plod who work in this largely crime free suburb. Ate two, Brucey. Thread locker extraordinaire. Might answer to Nick CRoxy. Imaginary cock prognosticator. Has experience of being a bit of a twat. VERY well drilled at the back!

I wish I could sit all of you down over a pint and implore you to keep the heads! It's very important to remember some key points:This team garnered a total of 75 points last yearThey are on pace to break the 90 points barrier this yearWhether that wins the league or not, the reality is that it will represent substantial improvementA tilt at the CL has been followed by a tilt at the leagueWe are always results orientated in sports, but the progress is there whether we win the big trophy or notOur platform and minimums have gone up so much in the space of four years it's astonishing

If you can get into this head space then you'll find this period far more enjoyable and satisfying. City are incredibly formidable opposition, just like Madrid in the final last May were. It's not a binary position of success / failure; winning mentality / bottle. We might lose the title with a great points total that would have won most titles and be right to be delighted with the season overall. Infact, that's a very possible outcome from here.

Think about the moving pieces in the background. The club are starting to pay and lock up the core of this team. A young core with years to come. Our manager has demonstrated a constant progression and evolution of tactical approach and squad depth. This summer we will be in the best position we've been in since sometime in the 80's in terms of the depth of the project as a whole. Commercially, coaching wise, squad wise - it will be the best platform we've had.

That's not to say the title wouldn't be phenomenal. Of course it would be. Just as winning last May would have been amazing. But what was true last May will be true this May: progress is a sum of the bigger picture. It is not about the ultimate result of a specific competition or a subset of games within that competition.

Get into this head space and you'll start to float above the action just a little.

That's a superb post. In this age of media histrionics, the narrative will be that there will be three teams with PL success - the league winner, the team that wins the 4th place "trophy" and the club that ends up 17th escaping relegation on the final day.

Look at Spurs. I've seen so much negative press about them this season. Yet they will likely finish with a massive points total. But it will be judged as "failure" if they finish 3rd or even 2nd. Ridiculous.

We are having a fantastic season. And it will remain fantastic whether we win the title or not. Let's enjoy the ride and celebrate this amazing team. Neither we nor City should have to hang heads in shame on the final day by finishing 2nd. These are two tremendous squads. May the best team win (us!), and may the 2nd place team remain deservedly proud of a strong campaign.

Go to bed thinking about the league. Wake up thinking about the league. That can't be healthy.

On the contrary, 10 years ago we were going to bed thinking are we going to go bust or into administration, and waking up thinking are we going to go bust or into administration. Thinking about the league every night and day is fucking fantastic.

Not me though. The way we dismantled Bournemouth was absolutely brilliant and if we build on that performance and make it a more regular thing then it doesn't matter how many 6-0's they hand out to opposition

It's been said a few times that we have tried to conserve energy to last the season, well if we go into the final months looking like we did on the weekend more often than not then we will be ok

I wonder how many pages this will get to by 13 May 2019. I'll guess 230.

Anyway;

1. Beleive2. Relax3. YNWA 4. Beat ManU and then see how that affects ManC.

It's grew 6 pages in 24 hours. There's 90 days between now and then. At this rate that's another 540 pages. Take a few slow days when league games aren't being played. Average it out about 4 a day. Still another 360 pages. I reckon we'll easily hit 600 if we're still neck and neck going into the last couple of games.

Is anyone else pretty happy that Chelsea are so dismal? I know I am. I was a bit worried that they might get some form, but it looks they are in the middle of their annual self-implosion, down tools and get the manager sacked. On paper that looked one of our tricky games left, but as it is I'm thinking 3 nailed on points right there. One less to worry about.

Is anyone else pretty happy that Chelsea are so dismal? I know I am. I was a bit worried that they might get some form, but it looks they are in the middle of their annual self-implosion, down tools and get the manager sacked. On paper that looked one of our tricky games left, but as it is I'm thinking 3 nailed on points right there. One less to worry about.

They'll still be in the hunt for 4th I reckon unless United keep up their current form. We've more than enough to beat them regardless. Not happy at the scheduling though. Fucking idiots in the Premier League giving us them at that time of year with their past antics.

Is anyone else pretty happy that Chelsea are so dismal? I know I am. I was a bit worried that they might get some form, but it looks they are in the middle of their annual self-implosion, down tools and get the manager sacked. On paper that looked one of our tricky games left, but as it is I'm thinking 3 nailed on points right there. One less to worry about.

Nailed on to sack Sarri and bring in some fan favourite who gives them a boost of form. Expect it to happen 1 or 2 games before we play them ; )

WUM. 'twatito' - The Cat Herding Firm But Fair Voice Of Reason (Except when he's got a plank up his arse). Gimme some skin, priest! Has a general dislike for Elijah Wood. Clearly cannot fill even a thong! RAWK Resident Muppet. Has a crush o

Expectation is a strong belief that something will happen or be the case.

The post I quoted said, "There should not be a title expectation." So, in other words, we should not have a strong belief that we will win the title.

Really? I'd be very disappointed if that attitude transmitted to the players, or indeed if the players had that attitude themselves. They should have a strong belief that they will win the title, because they're bloody good and it is still in their hands.

I'd like to see fans believe in them more too rather than all this "oh haven't we done so well, aren't Man City so rich and so good" stuff. Save that for if what you appear to think will happen, happens. Until then, believe. Expect, even. It won't kill you. And it won't kill them. They'll go again.

I think you are misusing 'expectation'. You are certainly misrepresenting what KH was saying.

If I give my son a tenner and say "I expect you to come back with sausage and chips and a curry sauce", I don't expect him to go off to the pub or bring me back a chinese takeaway. I don't have a 'strong belief' that he's going to bring back sausage and chips, I expect him to do as he's told.

"Expectation" has far more certainty than you suggest. Unless you mean it in the same way as people who piss away their savings on lottery tickets because they 'expect' their numbers to come up.

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Sid Lowe (@sidlowe)09/03/2011 08:04Give a man a mask and he will tell the truth, Give a man a user name and he will act like a total twat.

WUM. 'twatito' - The Cat Herding Firm But Fair Voice Of Reason (Except when he's got a plank up his arse). Gimme some skin, priest! Has a general dislike for Elijah Wood. Clearly cannot fill even a thong! RAWK Resident Muppet. Has a crush o

They were abysmal under the 'bus parker' but are now collecting points at a ridiculous rate. The reason is it is a very shit League. City and Spurs aren't on our coat tails because they are fantastic sides, for me it is because the standard of the League is so low.

If we can emulate an average United side over the next 3 months then it is going to be pretty much impossible for City to catch us.

That is what we should be focussing on.

We aren't in a title race in which the best sides are dropping 30 points over the course of the season. After 26 games we have lost 13 points, City 16 and Spurs 18. In that context 3 points is a very healthy lead.

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One thing does need to be said: in the post-Benitez era, there was media-led clamour (but also some politicking going on at the club) to make the club more English; the idea being that the club had lost the very essence of what it means to be ĎLiverpoolí. Guillem Ballague 18/11/10

Has that Manchester Derby been confirmed for that midweek? I know it was due to be played on the 16/17th March which is FA cup quarters weekend, so would need to be rearranged if 1 or both of those go through, but just figured it would be played later in the season (April time) if it was to be rearranged

is a cushy number for the Plod who work in this largely crime free suburb. Ate two, Brucey. Thread locker extraordinaire. Might answer to Nick CRoxy. Imaginary cock prognosticator. Has experience of being a bit of a twat. VERY well drilled at the back!

Has that Manchester Derby been confirmed for that midweek? I know it was due to be played on the 16/17th March which is FA cup quarters weekend, so would need to be rearranged if 1 or both of those go through, but just figured it would be played later in the season (April time) if it was to be rearranged

Donít think it can be played on a CL night (moot point if theyíre both in it). Presumably thatís a free midweek? If anything I think it would be moved later rather than brought forward, ideally United will still be needing points for top 4 whenever they play.